Postal franking-machine.



E. MOSS.

POSTAL FRA-NKING MACHINE. APPLICATION mio MAY 811911.

` Patented Jan, 28,1919.

a//// /l//U ERNEST moss, or cnrsrcmmon, Zaan-.anni' POSTAL Femme-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

Application led May 8, 1917. Serial No. 167,341.

To alllwkom z'fmag/ concern Be it known that I, ERNEST Moss, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 486 Retreat road, Dallington, Christ-` y depression 'of a previously inked die upon the matter.

In machines of this nature, as hitherto constructed, it has been considered possible for impressions or franks to be fraudulently obtained from the die, that is to say, without causing the machine to record the value of each and all of such franks. This fraud may be perpetrated in several different ways: for example, by inserting a piece of ink-ribbon or carbon-paper between the die and the matter, and then pressing the latter against such die by the. use of a knife or other thin instrument, or again several layers of thin matter may be inserted together with carbon-paper` between each so that, upon operating the machine once in the ordinary manner, the impression will be produced upon each portion of such matter.

It is the object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a construction whereby it will be impossible to obtain, in this fraudulent manner, a facsimile of the impression of the die as given by the proper operation of` the machine.

In order that the nature of the invention and its construction may be fully understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying sheet of drawings in which Figure 1. is a sectional view of the lower portion of a franking machine, illustrating the relation of the die to the guard-plate and other portions in the base of the machine,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a guard-plate fitted with -anti-fraudulent means in' accordance -with the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the portion of the machine shown in Fig. 1 as viewed at right angles thereto, and showing the matter in place awaiting the impression of the die.

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the die in the act of impressing the matter,

Fig. 5- shows a genuine impression of the die as given by the proper operation of the machine, and,

Fig. 6- illustrates an impression of such die as obtained by fraudulent means.

Fig. 7- is an enlarged detail view showing in perspective one tform of bar or auxiliary die embodying my invention.

1 is the inclosing case of the machine, in the lower side of which is provided an opening 2 through which is adapted to pass the die 3 when performing the stamping. The matter 4 to be stamped is inserted in a space 5 allowed between the underside of the case 1 and a base-plate 6, which latter is provided at the required point with a resiliently mounted block or platen 7 adapted to support the matter 4 when the latter is being impressed by the die.

To provide a means of gripping the matter and so holding it firmly in place upon the platen 7 during stamping, a guard-plate 8 is provided in the space 5. 4The said A,f {fuard-plate is provided with' a pair of studs 9, which are slidably received in holes formed in the lower side of the case and suit-v able springs 10 are employed upon the said studs to maintain thc guard-plate normally upward, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

To cause the guard-plate to descend upon the matter, as shown in Fig. 4 and dotted lines Fig. 1, a shaft 11 is provided in bearings 12 in the case 1 and actuated by the stamping mechanism in such a manner as to cause arms or projections 13 provided upon such shaft to engage the studs 9, as shown in Fig. 1. The guard-plate is also formed with an opening 14 to permit the stamp 3 to pass therethrough.

According to the present invention, one or more bars 15 are provided upon the guardplate and arranged to extend across the aperture 14, while the face of the die is recessed to receive the bar 15, as indicated in Fig. 4, the arrangement being such that the bar will be flush with the surface' of the die when the latter is in contact with the matter at the moment of stamping. l

By this construction, it will be seen that since the die only is inked, the impression of such upon the matter will be intersected by clear `spaces 17 due to the presence of the uninked bars 15, as shown in Fig. 5.

Should it be attempted, however, to fraudulently obtain an impression by the use of carbon-paper or the like inserted beneath the. guard-plate, as above mentioned, ,the

bars 15 themselves will also give Van impression, thus producing ink lines 18 across the impression of the die as shown'in Fig. 6. A

' case, so as to extend across the aperture 2 Yin Fig. 7. T-he bar, however, conslsts pref-A erably, as here shown, of a finel closely wound spiral spring mounted in a slot 19 provided in the guard-plate. B vthis construction, the bar will have su cient elasticity to give slightl at the moment when the die is stamping t e matter, and so avoid the danger of such bar becoming perma` nently stretched Vor distorted with use, as is apt to be the case where a solid wire or strip is employed.

I claim:

1. In a machine ofthe kind described, comprising a platen for receiving the matter to be franked, a main die spaced above the platen, and an auxiliary die also spaced above the platen but spaced below the main die, the parts being so arranged that when the main die is ymoved toward the platen the auxiliary die is picked up by and moved with themain die toward the platen.`

2. In a machine 'of the kind described, comprising a platen for receiving the matter' to be franked, a main die movable toward and away fromv the platen and provided with a recessin its printing face, and an auxiliary die movable toward and away:

from the platen and arranged in the path of movement of the main die so that the auxiliary die will be engaged by the recess in the printing face of the main die and moved with it toward and into contact with the matter to be franked, the main, and auxiliary dies being located a certain distance apart at the commencement of a printing operation to facilitate inking the main die without inking the auxiliary die.

3. In a machine of the kind described, comprising a platen for receiving the matter to be franked, a main die movable toward Lacasse and away from the platen and provided with a recess in its printing face, and an auxiliary die movable toward and away from the platen and arranged in the path of movement of the main die so that the auxiliary die will be engaged by 'the recess in the printing face of the main die and moved with it toward and into contact with the matter to'be franked, and means for simultaneously withdrawing both dies from the platen.

4. In a ymachine of the kind described, comprising a platen, a die normally spaced from the platen and having a recess vcut .across its face, an auxiliary die comprising an elongated member normally spaced from said recess and also from said platen but arranged in line with the recess in the path of travel of the recess when the die is operated, and guiding means for the'auxiliary die, whereby when the main die is .moved toward the platen and advances toward the auxiliary die and picks up the latter the die is operated, and guiding'means for one.

of the dies, the auxiliary die comprising a fine closely wound spiral spring.

6. In a machine'of the kind described, comprising a die having a recess cut across its face, an auxiliary die comprising an elongated member normally spaced from said recess but arranged in line therewith in the path of travel of the recess when the die is operated, and a yieldingly mounted Elaten for supporting apiece of matter to e franked in operative relation to the two dies, the auxiliary die being formed of` a metal spiral.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST MOSS. Witnesses:

Crm1. CARLYN COOPER, SIDNEY JAMES lRELEAvnrL 

